Resurrecting Francie
by Agent Flamingo
Summary: What if Francie didn't really die? What if something prevented the bullet from causing damage and she now lives a different life?
1. Chloe

Disclaimer- I don't own Alias, JJ Abrams and ABC do

Authors note: Hi everyone! This is my second fic I'm letting everyone see so I hope you read it, like it and review it. Of course it would also be helpful if you didn't like it and reviewed cos I need to know how to improve it. The concept of this fanfic is quite weird, and I know you all think its impossible that Francie could have lived, but I had some ideas which I wanted to share with y'all. I would also like to take this moment to thank Anna, Lisa, Paul and Steve who helped me when I was about to give up on this and also Lauren for cheering me up! Oh, one last thing- remember that on Alias no-one ever really dies! Kate: )  
  
Chapter 1- Chloe  
  
**She could see the sun streaming through the windows, and she found herself wishing the person she was in the dream were wearing a cooler outfit. She was sitting down in a red room, from the looks of it a restaurant, which for some strange reason she had nicknamed Deep Inside, happily chatting to a cute blond guy who was stacking ketchup bottles on top of each other. Yet again she had no idea where she was supposed to be in this dream; she didn't recognise it from her daily environment, yet she felt she knew it well. She thought she knew the guy too, her character in the dream obviously knew him well, but for the life of her she couldn't place him. Suddenly the dream scene started to fade, and she realised she was coming back to reality.**  
  
Chloe Jessica Tyler rolled over in her bed and opened her eyes ever so slightly, immediately closing them again when the sunlight assaulted them  
  
_Ah, that makes sense. Somebody opened the curtains and obviously it contributed to my dream._  
  
Even though the dreams were vivid, she had long ago stopped questioning them and long before that had stopped telling people about them. They had occurred for as long as she could remember, and that was her last two and a half years. According to her family and friends, they hadn't occurred before, so she was led to believe they were a direct result of the accident. She couldn't even recall the accident; she just had to imagine it through what the people in the hospital and back home told her.  
  
She had been at the bank, where she worked security cameras, and there had been a robbery. She was injured in the head but luckily for her the neurosurgery department at Graz University Hospital was one of the best in the world. They had managed to treat her injury successfully, however it had required fitting a metal plate into her brain. She now had a hole like scar in her forehead, where they had to drill in to insert it. She had memorised this information and ended up repeating it at least once a week to those who questioned the gaping scar on her forehead. The plate wasn't much of a problem though in comparison to her memory loss, she had suffered severe amnesia from the minute she came out of the coma and she had spent the last couple of years talking to her family and friends to regain a sense of what her life was like before.  
  
Of course she didn't remember any of her family and friends, but there were that many people she knew they had to be telling the truth. Over time, she came to love them all again and learnt more and more about her life pre- accident, but she kept on having these dreams.  
  
At first she had told her husband, Rob, about them. He had laughed and told her she wasn't making any sense. She had never played mini golf, or gone to business school, and she didn't have any friends like the two she described so vividly. At the time she was still wary of trusting anyone, and the dreams, they seemed so real. She couldn't hear anything of what was being said in the dreams at first, her hearing had been temporarily damaged but it came back bit by bit. In fact, when all of it came back, she was allowed to go back to work, though in a hotel this time rather than a bank. It was safer and she wouldn't suffer any traumatic memories.  
  
Before they allowed her to be discharged from the private medical facility she was at, they made her take twenty sessions with a psychiatrist, and at the second one of these meetings, he asked her whether she was having strange dreams. It was after she had told Rob about her experiences and so she was slightly wary of what Dr. Cantrella was going to say next.  
  
He claimed it was her conscience's way of trying to create a perfect life because she couldn't remember anything. However he also said that none of it was true and that she needed to merge back into her old life, with Rob, her parents, and the rest of her close friends in Graz.  
  
The first few weeks after her accident, she read as much material about her life she could get her hands on. Her birth certificate, which told her she was born to Ana and Steven Oxford in St. Guys Hospital in London. She read school reports, from both her schools in London, England, which she left when she was nine, and the reports from her schools in Graz, Austria where she had lived ever since. According to her parents they had moved because Austria was her mother's home country and that her father had good job prospects there. They both worked for a private medical research facility, which is apparently the place she met her husband Rob. She had finished her degree course on Communication and Electronic Engineering and was on the look out for a temp job. Her mother was on Personnel and her father was one of the senior researchers and they found a three-month job for her in admin. She had been working there for 2 weeks before Rob asked her for help with some data storage. Apparently they got on really well, and within 4 months had moved in with each other. Her parents really liked him and they had a beautiful wedding, which according to the marriage certificate was on 17 June 1999. She worked a few security jobs around Graz before landing more permanent work at the bank in 2001. A year later, she had the accident and had to quit.  
  
"Chloe? What an earth are you up to?" A male voice suddenly called up the stairs.  
  
She broke out of the trance she usually went into after one of her dreams and realised that she was at the top of the stairs, sitting on top of the hoover. "Um, I needed to sit down, this was closest place I could find" _No need to tell him I have no idea whatsoever... he thinks I've stopped the dreams... he would only fret if he knew they still occurred_  
  
"Any particular reason why you needed to sit down?" He asked, now standing directly below her, so she had an advantage point to study him hard. She did this ever so often, in case she ever lost her memory again. He was 6ft tall, black with a closely shaven head. He had a goatee today, occasionally he would shave it off, but she preferred it on. His mouth dimpled whenever he smiled, which wasn't as often as she'd like, but when he did, it was a beautiful smile. In fact, he was smiling at her now in amusement.  
  
"I just felt slightly dizzy, I think I should have ate some more food before I went to bed last night, I'm starving." She held her hand to her stomach to complete her little act, hoping he would believe her. She hated to lie to him after all he had done to help her, but she knew that the dreams would worry him too much and she didn't want that. "Well come down and let me make you some breakfast" He replied, rolling his eyes at her helplessness.  
  
"No, its ok, I can do it, I like cooking" She replied. In truth, she loved cooking, but every time she tried making meals when Rob was around he would tell her to go and relax in front of the TV, he was strange in that way. He wasn't even a particularly great cook, but for some reason she put up with it, especially when he gave her puppy dog eyes, pleading with her that he could do the cooking.  
  
"Nonsense, you just said you were weak from hunger. I'll cook you some pancakes with those chocolate chips you insist on having whilst you get dressed. You know, I've gotta say you are the only person I know that eats those together, you have some weird tastes". He laughed and walked back to the kitchen, whistling some tune Chloe thought she probably should know, but couldn't remember. She knew why she ate the chocolate chips though. She wasn't that fond of them, but they had come up in conversation in one of her dreams with her two non-existent friends, and so she ate them because of that.  
  
Breakfast was its usual fun affair. Rob would be fussing around her making sure she had everything she needed, before diving behind the paper. She would read the society pages while he caught up on sport and then they would split the business section in two. After they conversed about what they would be doing that day, Rob left for the research facility. Chloe didn't have to go to work till lunchtime because she was working the noon to midnight shift that day. She took the advantage of having a few hours to relax before her solo shift behind the hotels security system cameras and grabbed hold of the food and drink section and the sports section of the newspaper.  
  
Firstly, she flipped through the sports pages looking for evidence of the LA Lakers latest game. Rob had no idea that she supported them, he didn't even know she liked basketball. It felt normal to her though, and every time she heard them mentioned she thought of steak and she felt all happy and comfortable inside. She couldn't help these feelings and she had no idea where they came from, they just happened. Secondly she turned to the food and drink section, her favourite part of the whole day came from reading this, and she guessed this is why a restaurant made a regular occurrence in her dreams.  
  
After finishing her reading and coffee, she dialled up a couple of friends on their cell phones to check they were still up for dinner the next night.  
  
The first person she called was Maria, one of her closest friends who also worked at the research facility. Maria chatted on about her newest boyfriend for a few minutes before they got around to talking about the dinner. It was a birthday celebration for Rob and they had all decided to go to a nearby posh Italian restaurant. The rest of the conversation was taken up discussing which dress they were going to wear, and then Maria had to hang up as she had some work due.  
  
Secondly she called up Brigitte, the wife of Rob's best friend Christopher, another of the research facilities employees. They talked for a few minutes about work and their husbands before Chloe realised she had better get her skates on if she was going to get to work on time.  
  
A few hours later she was sitting at her desk going through reports on incidents last week whilst checking the screens every few minutes. She was pretty amused because she had just had a call up from the receptionist who mentioned that a couple more rock stars had just checked in, and the concierge was already moaning. She checked the feed from the foyer and saw a couple of English wannabes being pretentious to Marco on reception; she shook her head, laughed, and went back to her reports.  
  
A few minutes later by chance she was checking the sub basement cameras just past the north east quarter. Suddenly she caught a glitch on the screen and realised to her horror that someone had been messing with the cameras. She ran over to the other side of the office and turned on the back up cameras, which were part of another circuit. She looked down all the corridors, looking for something amiss. And then she saw it. It was a body leaned against one of the walls. She zoomed in closer, and saw that it was a woman, wearing a white shirt soaked with blood, covered by a brown jacket.  
  
She shrieked. But it wasn't because of the blood; it was because the person she was focussed on looked exactly like her.


	2. Workin' it

Disclaimer: You already know I dont own Alias

A/N: I love all you guys! Thank you so much for the beautiful reviews! And the CIA **doesnt **know she's alive, so i'll let you keep on guessing! Please R&R! I hope you like...

She shrieked. But it wasn't because of the blood; it was because the person she was focussed on looked exactly like her.

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Oh God. What the hell is happening here? She looks exactly like me. This cant be right. I must be seeing things. I don't have a twin, and I'm up here. Is someone trying to play cruel tricks on me? What the hell is happening?

She felt herself going weak at the knees and grabbed onto the nearest chair, but then something happened that had never occurred before, she had a extremely vivid vision that related her dream character's life to her present one.

Her mind faded to black before coming into focus on the restaurant she had dreamed about so many times before. Her character was talking on the phone with somebody, they were talking about catering and she heard a noise making her turn around. At this point both her dream character and her present character gasped, because standing right in front of her was the identical women, her clone. Suddenly the scene faded to black again and Chloe slowly opened her eyes and exhaled _Oh my god._

She carefully let go of the chair, hoping that she was steady enough to walk again, and glanced back at the screen. Blood was still seeping out of her clones stab wounds and it was at that moment she realised that she needed to take direct action. She knew she needed answers and it quickly became apparent to her she was only going to get them from one person. Unfortunately that person was bleeding to death and only she was aware of this.

Thousands of thoughts were running through Chloe's head as she pondered her next action but she knew one thing, that people close to her had been hiding the truth and that at this moment in time she could trust no-one, not even the ones she believed loved her eternally. She had to find a way of getting the clone or whoever she was out of the building alive and without anyone knowing. She reached over to the back up cameras she had turned on and turned them off, so anyone entering the room or reviewing the security tapes wouldn't know they had been turned on and would instead use the looped footage in analysis. She grabbed hold of her bag and pulled out her mobile, before running down the back stairwells towards the subbasement. She ran down three corridors before she came to the one where she had seen the body, and the scene that greeted her made her gasp once more. The body wasn't there, and neither was the pool of blood.

At first she thought maybe she had got the wrong corridor, but one glance at the number on the camera, 047, told her she hadn't. Then she considered she had imagined things, but she was 100% positive this was not the case. Suddenly a thought occurred, the person who removed the body and blood must have had to be quick to be gone by the time she got there, that they may have been sloppy. Close inspection of the floor confirmed her suspicions; there were faint red dots on the floor where the clone had lay. To most people it would look like a paint stain, but Chloe knew better, and she also knew that she had to find out the truth.

BEEP BEEP. Chloe jumped and then realised she was being paged to reception by Marco. _Does he know? Maybe the clone got out of the building via the lobby, nobody gets through there without Marco noticing._

She took one last glance around the corridor, and was just heading up the stairs when a realisation struck her. _Why was she in the building in the first place? Who wants her dead? And who was she here with?_

As she carried on up towards reception her mind was racing, trying to recall whether anyone suspicious had entered the building in the last few hours, but there was absolutely no one.

She reached the lobby and walked over to the reception desk where Marco was yelling at one of the room porters.

"Marco? You paged me?" She asked concerned, Marco didn't get mad that often, he was one of the gentlest men she knew.

"Ah, yes Chloe, I have some suspicions I feel I need to share with you" Marco glared at the porter he had been yelling at, " And David here would have been able to help had he done his job effectively."

"Marco, what are you on about? If there is a breach of security I need to know it right away so I can deal with it." She said briskly, Marco may be gentle but she also knew he had a habit of going off on a tangent if something annoyed him.

"Do you remember those rock stars I called you about earlier? The English ones?"

"Yes. What about them?"

"They just left."

"So? What's that got to do with me?"

"For a start, they were due to check out tomorrow at the earliest. But they came down here ten minutes ago and checked out, claiming they didn't like the hotel. I was naturally peeved but I accepted it. A couple of minutes later David here comes down and says he just went back to deliver their four bottles of champagne to their room, knocked on the door and got no answer. The greedy idiot wanted his tip so he unlocked the door in order for him to place the bottles inside and found that the TV screen was on, but it wasn't on the normal menu, it was on the list of people who have long term storage contracts with us. I am thinking that they were only here to look for something in one of our safety deposit boxes, or then again maybe I have been watching too many spy movies." Marco replied, with a large sigh and shrug at the end.

"Thank you Marco for informing me of this matter. I will check it out accordingly." Chloe said in her most professional voice. Usually she would have been worried, but Marco's suggestion made a few pieces of her puzzle click together- the safety deposit boxes were down in that subbasement, it is possible the clone was looking for something there.

She strode purposefully towards her office; in order to get a full list of safety deposit box owners. A few minutes later she was heading back through the north east quarter, searching for any signs of break in. And then she came across it. The silver front had been cut into and now had a square shaped hole with nothing behind it. She cross-referenced the box number with the list and came up with the owner's name, a Ms Julia Thorne.

Chloe had no idea what had been stored in there, but programmed the name into the mobile phone; she was going to need it later. Next, she headed on back to her office to check the lobby feeds again. She could have sworn that the rock stars were white, and so therefore she was looking for at least three people, most likely working against each other in order to get something _but what the hell was in that box that made it a matter of life and death?_

Two minutes later she was looking at her cameras again, and zoomed in on the scene that had been recorded in reception.

She scanned in the two faces into the database, the male one first. It had no match yet Chloe was sure it was a familiar face. She tried the female face second. Two minutes later it came up with a partial facial recognition, that of a Ms Julia Thorne. She didn't need to check her mobile to remind her that it was her safety deposit box that had been broken into, instead she had to question her sanity. For she was sure that Julia Thorne was the woman from her dreams, and for that matter she realised why the male rock star looked so familiar, as he was the spitting image, albeit with a different hairstyle, of the man in her dreams. _What the hell?_


	3. Investigate

Disclaimer- I dont own Alias but lotsa merchandise if that makes you feel better!

A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews guys, they make me so happy! Glad you like the story, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! Please R&R

For she was sure that Julia Thorne was the woman from her dreams, and for that matter she realised why the male rock star looked so familiar, as he was the spitting image, albeit with a different hairstyle, of the man in her dreams. _What the hell?_

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**Chapter 3- Investigate**

Suddenly she felt bile rising in her gut and collapsed in the nearest chair with a glass of water, unable to comprehend her findings. She took a couple of gulps of water and forced herself to breathe deeply, repeatedly telling herself that she needed to function properly before she could figure everything out. After a couple of minutes she felt well enough to put her glass back down on her desk, and then she noticed her hands. They were shaking terribly, and it also came to her attention her teeth were chattering and she was covered in Goosebumps, she was shivering in shock.

"Focus Chloe, focus." She murmured aloud to herself. She slowly turned around and looked at the computer again, but she knew it wouldn't make any difference, she was already sure Julia and her partner were the people from her dreams, and she knew she needed to find them. What she couldn't understand was why their existence had been so strongly denied by Rob and her family and friends. What were they keeping from her? It was at this moment that Chloe decided she would look for these two elusive figures and covertly interview her friends for any clues as to what was amiss.

Impulsively Chloe grabbed the nearest phone directory and flipped through the business services until she found the number she was looking for. Balancing the book in her lap and using her free hand to dial the digits on her mobile she called it up and anxiously waited for someone to answer the phone.

" Napier, Nesbitt and Perkins Investigations, How can we help you?" A sleepy sounding voice answered.

Chloe checked her watch quickly and realised it was seven p.m.

Oops, I forgot what time it was, I'm surprised they're still there

"Hi, um I'm sorry for calling you so late in the day but I was wondering if you had someone who could help me."

"That's ok, we're here for you day and night, what kind of problem do you have?"

"Well I need to track a couple of people down, I have the name of one of them and they are closely associated with the other, so Its really just finding one person."

"OK, if you have the name it should be simple enough. How urgent is the job?"

"As soon as possible please, they have some answers for me that are quite important, and the sooner they are answered, the sooner I can get on with leading a normal life."

"That shouldn't be much of a problem. We aren't that busy at the moment and as you already have the name it shouldn't take long. We actually have an investigator free at the moment if you want to come by and start the proceedings."

"Sure, that would be great. Thank you. I have your address so I'll be there in about half an hour."

"Your welcome and we will be awaiting your arrival, Ms?"

"Oh, just call me Chloe."

"Ok, Chloe. See you soon."

"See you soon"

She hangs up the phone and sighs. _Well that was easy enough. I'd better go and find someone to cover me while I head over there._

She gets up out of the chair, goes through the door and walks down the corridor towards reception.

"Hey Marco? I need a really big favour!" She calls out towards the receptionist.

"Sure Chloe, What is it?" He says, looking up from his computer screen.

"Your due off in a couple of minutes aren't you? She questions him, sure she was right.

"Yeah, Tomas is just getting ready, why?" He looks at his watch and then at her enquiringly.

" You know that problem we had earlier? I need to sort it out but it requires me to leave the building for a couple of hours. Could you cover security for me? I know you have done some training to cover emergencies." She explains, desperately hoping that he will do it.

"That's fine. I didn't have anything waiting for me at home anyway. Louisa left me last week so its kind of lonely on my own" He replies solemnly.

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that Marco, you'll find someone else. Ah, here is Tomas now. Thank you so much for doing this Marco, you're a good colleague and a great friend." She grins at her last sentence.

Marco laughs, "So are you Chloe, so are you."

"I'll see you later, I should be back before 10:30. Oh, and can you make sure the staff know that the subbasement is off limits until tomorrow? She asks quickly, checking her mobile is in her bag before she puts it over her shoulder.

"Sure I will, I'd better head to your office now. Good luck" Marco replies before walking in the direction Chloe came from.

Chloe let out a big sigh of relief and waved to Tomas and a couple of porters before heading out to her car and getting on her way.

Half an hour later she had arrived at the Nacron Office Complex on the other side of Graz. She checked the list of offices by the elevators and discovered the Investigators had half of the third floor, which she then went up to. Emerging from the elevator she came across a set of glass doors that led into a foyer which then led into an open plan office. She went through the doors and approached the tired looking receptionist in the foyer. At the sound of footsteps the receptionist looked up and studied her visitor.

"Hi, I'm guessing your Chloe?"

"Yes, did we talk on the phone?"

"We did. If you'll take a seat I'll just inform Mr Perkins that you're here"

Chloe took a seat and glanced quickly around the foyer, noticing how professional it looked, whilst the receptionist called through to her boss.

A minute later a middle aged man, about 5"7 came out into the foyer and approached Chloe.

"Hello there. I'm Mr Perkins, but please call me Leo. If you'll follow me into my office we can see about tracking down the people you are after.

A couple of minutes later Chloe and Leo were settled into the office and ready to begin business.

"Right, would you like to explain who you are after and if you want, why you are after them?" Leo asks briskly.

" Um, OK. I guess I could tell you why I'm after them if it will help, but only if you promise not to let it out of this room" She answered, knowing she didn't have to tell the whole truth, just some bare details.

"Whatever you say to me will be kept confidential don't worry. However my research may lead to the attention of the authorities so I can't promise to keep you from their interrogations."

"That's ok. A couple of years ago I had an accident that left me with severe amnesia, I can't remember anything of my life up until the point I woke up from my coma. I started having dreams that contained two people I didn't know. My family and friends told me they didn't exist, that it was just my mind playing up. However a few hours ago, I obtained evidence that these two people do indeed exist. I have pictures of them both, and a name for the female. I want to track them down and ask them whether they were significant in my life before. And if they were, I obviously want to confront those who said they didn't exist. I feel I will then be able to return to a normal life. At the moment I am having trouble believing anything, I need answers to questions. That is why I came to you." She explains, rubbing her forehead in frustration.

Leo leans back in is chair, resting his chin on his hands.

"Well you have quite a unique situation here Chloe. But I will be glad to help. If you give me the name and the pictures and any other information I will see what I can do"

"Thank you so much Leo, you have no idea how it feels knowing someone will help. She hands over a brown manila envelope.

"Here are two pictures, one is of the man and woman in a hotel lobby where I work taken a few hours ago, and the other is of the women who I brought up on the hotel database after running face recognition. She had an account with us under the name Julia Thorne. They both had English accents, but I can't help but think they were fake. In my dreams… In my dreams I think they may have been American. I, um, also have reason to believe they may be involved in some kind of shall we say, dangerous, activity after events today."

"Right, I'll be careful in my research then. What I'll do is start off by looking for them in this area, but I will branch out to American data if I have no luck. I have many contacts in this world, involved in all kinds of activity, I'm sure we will find them somehow." He turns on his computer and gets up from his chair to shake Chloe's hand. "It was nice doing Business with you Chloe, would you like me to send the bill through the post or would you prefer to come back here so our dealings remain confidential?

"I'll come back here. No need for my husband to find out. I had better get back to work; I have someone covering for me. Thank you again for your help." He nods his head and Chloe leaves the office and heads back towards her own.


	4. Frustration

Thanks to Lauren, Tricia and Cate for reviewing and thanks to anybody else who is reading this story... I hope you like this chapter, I wrote most of it on holiday.... please R&R. Kate

It was half past midnight by the time Chloe pulled into her drive. She glanced up at the house and found the study light on, causing her to sigh and drop her head on the steering wheel. Rob was waiting up for her. She used to think he had been protective like this all his life, however after what she had discovered today she was starting to have her doubts. She had no idea how she was going to deal with him now, and she had a feeling she wouldn't be able to stop the tears that were forming in her eyes and threatening to cascade down her cheeks. She lifted up her head, pulled her keys out of the ignition, reached over for her bag and got out of the car before slowly walking to her front door.

Suddenly a flash of light assaulted her eyes and she looked up to see Rob's silhouette in the doorway. Whilst she approached him the wheels were turning quickly in her head to create an excuse for her weak appearance. She heard him gasp.

"Chloe? Sweetie? What's wrong?" He asked, stepping out of the doorway to grab her arms, tilting his head to look more closely at her face, unsure as to whether it was just a trick of the dark.

Ugh. He's looking right into my eyes. I can't lie to him like that.

Chloe knelt down and pretended to adjust the strap on her heel, effectively averting her eyes so she could speak. "I just had a really bad day at work. A few incidents just got me in a foul mood and I started snapping at people... I may have gone slightly overboard and emotionally hurt them… I, uh, was pretty wound up. I'm just regretting it deeply now" She said as clearly as possible, hoping he would believe her and leave it be.

Rob gently released his grasp on her arms and led her into the living room before going to fetch her a cup of tea, giving her ample time to figure her out how she was going to approach him….

I guess I should start by asking about the bank job, that was the main factor in my life before the accident after all… and I could swear that Julia has something to do with a bank… It's just this strong feeling I get whenever I think of a bank. Maybe I met them through the bank and I didn't tell Rob about them. Or maybe he thought I didn't need to be reminded of the life I led at the bank that caused more than twenty years of memory to be erased and the addition of a titanium plate in my head. I can't believe I never really asked him much about the people I worked with there… what was I afraid of? They couldn't have harmed me anymore, and I needed to learn as much about my past as possible. What was I thinking? I guess I just assumed my closest friends were the ones that approached me in the hospital… maybe Julia and her partner didn't know I was there. No, that cant be right, they would if they worked at the bank, and thinking about it, I said to Leo earlier I thought they were American so they wouldn't have been working there… maybe they worked at a US branch. But how did I meet them? It seriously looked like I was living with them but I don't remember being told I had visited and stayed in America….

Rob striding back in the room broke off Chloe's string of thought; he placed her drink on the table and scrutinised her.

"Chloe? Is this all purely down to a bad day at work? You've had them before but you haven't got like this." He asked curiously, it seemed to Chloe that he had been doing a bit of analysis in the kitchen.

Damn, now what do I say? I'll have to phrase it so I can ask my questions about the bank… I'll have to say something about staff

"It was um, an even worse bad day than usual. See the thing is, I got slightly frustrated about my memory thing as well. Whilst I was doing reports on how security minded the staff were I got to thinking of how I thought of them more as friends than colleagues. Then I started wondering about what my colleagues at the bank were like… I don't recall meeting any after the accident…" She mumbled, hoping it would lead him to give her some answers.

"Well, um, you weren't that close to them… A few came by when you were in the coma, dropped off flowers… but recalling the event was quite distressing so I don't think they wanted to bother you… is that what all this is about? Wanting to know why people didn't visit you?" He grew slightly agitated "Its not something to get this worked up over Chloe, you really had me worried for a minute then"

Chloe started to get annoyed, she could see he was quickly making up lies because his aggression was starting to show through.

"No Rob! It isn't about the amount of friends who cared about me! It's about remembering my whole life! Though thinking about it would be nice to know people cared as well!" She shouted at him, before storming out of the room and up to bed.

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Next morning when Chloe went down for breakfast she found Rob buried behind his newspaper, he didn't even lift it to say good morning.

Well two can play at that game... though he should be the one apologising not angry.

She walked over to the toaster and slammed a couple of pieces of bread in it, before sitting down with the food and drink section, not caring what he thought anymore. They sat in silence the whole time, only broken up by Rob saying he was going to work and then striding out of the house. Though Chloe felt she should be upset, she actually felt very relieved. She hated tense situations and she wanted some alone time where she could debate her life, such as it was.

She lounged around the house for several hours and was just considering making lunch when her mobile rang. She checked caller ID and it said 'Jules' the codename she had given Leo which wouldn't arouse suspicion if Rob asked who was calling, she could just say it was a new friend. She pressed answer.

"Hello?" She asked apprehensively, she was unsure why he would be calling so soon.

"Hi. Its Leo. Can you talk?"

"Yeah, I'm on my own. Is something wrong?"

"Well I've found who you are looking for but I don't want to go into it over the phone. Can you come over to the office?"

"Yeah, I've got the day off. I'll be there in an hour."

"Great, see you then."

"Bye" She replied before ending the call.

An hour later she was back in Leo's office. The situation was this. He'd tracked her name to an apartment in Rome. He however couldn't travel there at the moment; it would be a week before his workload decreased enough.

She sat and listened to his apologies whilst forming an idea in her mind, speaking out when she was sure it was what she wanted to do.

"I'll go." She said clearly and firmly.

"Excuse me?" He replied, taken aback by the sudden announcement.

" I said I'll go to Rome, if that's alright with you of course. I don't mind confronting her face to face. I can call into work and say I need some personal time. They will probably give it to me." She said confidently.

"But what about Rob, your husband?" He questioned, raising his eyebrows and leaning back in his desk chair.

"I've thought about it and I can tell him that I have been asked to go to an important conference in the place of someone who is sick. I've been to a few before, he won't question why I'm going to Italy. Just in case he calls work, I'll ask them to cover for me. Tell a couple of close colleagues on switchboard I'm having marital problems and need a quick break without Rob knowing where I am exactly. They'll tell him I'm at a conference."

"OK. I think you should go. I'll give you a number for my Rome contact and tell them you'll be in town for a couple of days, they'll be able to help you out." He answered.

And this was how Chloe ended up in Graz airport two hours later. She had called Rob and asked him to excuse her from the dinner, he was still pretty cool with her but she let it go. She knew they would make up soon, he never stayed mad at her for long.

"Flight 485 to Rome, Italy is now boarding at gate 5, I repeat Flight 485 to Rome is boarding at Gate 5" The voice over the intercom said in English, French and German.

"Well this is it" Chloe mumbled aloud before lifting her head and striding confidently over to check in.


	5. When in Rome

Disclaimer: Same old same old

A/N: hard to type but I'm gonna reply to your reviews anyway: **Fair Cate: **Thanks again for a lovely review, I like what you said about it being refreshing! **Tricia: **you'll have to wait and see ,thank you! **Ren201: **Thanks as always for the encouragement **Scary-Girly: **Your review made me smile, thank you! **Valoriahn: **Thank you! Glad you like it! ...Well I hope you guys like this chapter.. Im on a writing spree this week cos I felt guilty bout not updating ;)

**Chapter 5- When in Rome...**

As she placed her handbag down to be x-rayed by Italian customs she took the chance to glance around the bustling airport she had just landed at. People were rushing everywhere and every time she caught a glimpse of a women in her late twenties she thought it was Julia. Of course it wasn't, but she couldn't help but wonder what she looked like now. The Julia at the hotel and the person in her dreams both looked much different, and Chloe kept on thinking she wouldn't recognise her if she walked right passed.

"Miss? Miss?" An agitated Italian voice speaking broken English broke through her trance

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I was in a world of my own." She apologised quickly

"Reason for visit?" He asked abruptly, not caring for niceties.

"Business. I have a conference. Here's my return ticket." She produced it knowing she would need it to provide evidence for length of stay.

"Fine. Next" The customs guy calls out in Italian.

Chloe picked up her bag, smiled and headed over to collect her suitcase before catching a taxi outside. She jumps into the taxi offered to her and settles into the seat.

The porters had deliberately given her an English-speaking driver so she knew exactly what she was doing.

"Where to?" The driver called out.

Chloe dug around in her handbag and found the address Leo had given her and moments later they were on their way. As they drove she missed all the famous landmarks; she was so caught up in thought about what awaited her.

I wonder what it looks like where she lives. She seems to have important valuables; it'll probably be big and expensive. Oh God, What am I going to say when she answers the door? "Hi. I don't know exactly who you are but I'm hoping you know me?" What if she slams the door in my face, or worse, pulls a gun? I mean I don't know what happened down in the basement that day, but the person who looked exactly like me ended up stabbed to death. Well at least I think she was. I guess she wouldn't have been dragged away unless she had a chance for survival. Oh, I hope she is alive. I need answers and soon. Oh God! What if they were looking for me and got her by mistake? Killing me at work would be as easy as killing me at home; I'm hopeless when it comes to security. I guess I'd better put some in at home when I get back, it would make that grumpy husband of mine happy for a start, overprotecting goofball. Chloe frowned and turned her attention to the taxi driver who was calling her. They were there.

Chloe paid him and launched herself out of the taxi, cursing her heels. She knew she had to dress like a businesswoman in a suit to keep her cover, but now she figured she could take her jacket off and look a little more…friendly. She pulled herself fully upright and glanced up at the apartment block towering above her. She could smell the freshly grown flowers that were being tended to by an elderly lady on the front steps, but she didn't take another minute to look at what they actually were, all she could concentrate on was the building itself. It was terracotta brick and intricately designed making it one of the city's most exclusive apartment blocks. She could barely see the roof, but she wasn't bothered about that either, all she could think was which window is Julia's? Where in this beautiful place lies the answers with which I believe will unlock the secrets of my life?

She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly before smiling at the elderly women and walking up the steps into the large foyer. She strode confidently over to the doormen and allowed them to look her up and down before they spoke.

"Hello Senõra, How can I help you?" One said in Italian.

"Hello. Do you speak any English?" She replied slowly and carefully in Italian, she had picked up a phrase book at the airport in Graz and had memorised some important sentences.

He shook his head but gestured to his colleague behind him. "Paulo, he help."

A well- built friendly looking man came forward and introduced himself. "Hello. I am Paulo, my wife's cousin, she is American. I learn to speak English off her. I will be able to help you"

"Gracias Paulo. I am looking for an old friend of mine. I have her address as being flat 4h." Paulo pulled himself back and studied her face, as if something wasn't right.

"4h? Are you sure? It's not 2 or 3h? Eh?" He asked with a hint of desperation to his voice, he liked this girl, he didn't want to think of her mixed up with troublemakers

"It says 4h quite clearly. Her name is Julia Thorne. Why? What is wrong? Does the flat not exist?" Chloe asked desperately, she didn't want to believe she had been given a dead end, not this early on.

"No, it exists my dear. And the woman you talk of? She exists as well. But she is trouble. Gianni here, he tell me that she was taken away by police. She in major trouble." Paulo nodded at his own words Chloe looked at him in shock. Paulo then proceeded to talk quickly to Gianni who appraised of the situation nodded as well.

"Oh my God" Chloe muttered under her breath. She looked up at Paulo. "When was the last time you saw her?"

"You don't want to be mixed up with her senõra." Paulo answered solemnly.

"Please?" Chloe pleaded. "It is most important that I find her."

" It was last week. We no see her for few months, then she comes back. Gianni. He saw her. A few hours later she was taken away. We haven't seen her since."

Last week? I've seen her since then. What an earth is going on?

"Gracias Paulo. Gracias Gianni. You have been of much help." She sighed and smiled.

Paulo came forward and kissed her on both cheeks. " Good luck senõra."

Chloe started to walk out of the building, raising her hand in feeble waves to the doormen and collapsed on the front step near the elderly woman. She put her head in her hands and started to assess what she knew so far.

Ugh. Why does life have to be so complicated? Let's see. So she lived here, but was taken away by the police. Then a week later she comes to the hotel where she had a safety deposit box, but gets in some kind of fight. Then she leaves. I guess I should figure out why the police wanted her…but how? Chloe groaned and stuffed her hands into her pockets. Suddenly her hand caught on something sharp in her pocket. "Ouch, what the hell is that?" She pulled it out and examined it. It was a stiff business card of a nightclub in town. She turned it over and found the name of Leo's contact and rules for approach" _Bingo! The contact can help me!_


	6. Clubbin rocks y'all

A/N: Hello! Some review feed back and then on with the story.. hope you like and please feel free to R and R! **Scary girly**- Thank you so much for thinking this is working out! **Ren 201- **hehe, you're right, you cant talk about updates.. but thanks for always threatening me sweetie! **Fair Cate- **I'll apologise again to ya for the lang mix up.. and to everyone else for that matter! I used a pro this time (well ok freetranslation, but I think its right!). thank you for saying fantastic and excited Iam all smiley now! **Whitelighter Enchantress **I don't think anyone else has done this.. at least I haven't seen anything!! Glad you found my awful mistake cute and hope you like this update. **Ralphe **Thank you.. I havent really read any francie centred fics either... Thank you all so much for taking the time to review and thanks to those who dont but still read this story!

**Chapter 6- Clubbin rocks y'all**

She stared solidly at the business card for a minute, before a loose piece of hair fell over her eyes and she pulled her head back, curling her strands of hair back behind her ears. She sighed and turned the card over a couple of times before shoving it back in her pocket.

A nightclub huh? Better go shopping. Ah, who am I kidding? Its Rome. I simply have to go shopping. Chloe let out a little giggle and felt slightly better, knowing she still had a chance. She got up from the steps and headed back down to the street, where she proceeded to flag down a cab.

2 hours later Chloe stumbled into the hotel that Leo had thoughtfully booked her in at, laden with bags full of clothes, shoes and accessories. She knew she had a couple of hours before the club would open its doors so she opted to collapse on her big comfortable bed and come up with some sort of plan. She set her cellphone to beep when she had one hour to go. She clambered up onto the bedspread and leaned back in the pillows, planning to close her eyes purely because she could concentrate better, however within three minutes she had struggled to fight off sleep and was now snoring quietly.

"Your face… community service… sunblock… liquor license… Mafia… reporter…" words reverberated around in her head not making any sense, she thought she recognised the voice of the male she was talking to, but the scene was too fuzzy for her to make out who it was. She kept on getting flashes, which were becoming stronger by the minute, and then finally it all became clear, her dream character was talking to Julia's partner, and he looked really really red in the face. "Just like a lobster" Chloe mumbled and smiled in her sleep, before heading into another dream.

It took her a couple of minutes to focus on her activity in the next one, but when she did she realised that the dreams were linked, for in this one she was in the presence of real lobsters and Julia's partner was putting them in a pan. She was actually getting sentences in this dream… something about a restaurant making profit… and the next minute she realised the two characters were kissing.

Chloe gasped and awoke immediately, pulling herself up out of the pillows and grabbing the bottle of water she had previously placed on the nightstand._My God. That's certainly never happened before. Oh God, I was cheating on Rob! What the hell was I doing? It seemed so right, yet it couldn't be, because I'm married to Rob. Maybe that's why Rob doesn't know about him, maybe it was vital I kept it a secret? Hang on a sec, does that mean he was cheating on Julia as well? They booked the room as a couple didn't they? Oh God, what if she knew and refuses to help me? She is already a criminal I doubt it would be that hard for her to refuse...oh no... Why was I talking about the Mafia and community service in the first dream? I'm not… surely I cant be a criminal? It would after all make complete sense, hanging out with two people involved with dangerous activity but keeping their existence a secret from the ones I love… or did love?_

OH!" She sighed in frustration. "I don't know!" She yelled out, before remembering she was in a public place. She clambered of the bed and strode over to the bathroom, planning on taking a shower before her meeting tonight. Whilst she let the warm water cascade over her, she also allowed all her old thoughts to run again through her mind, some of them making sense, others just being odd memories chucked in there to confuse her. She started to shake and finally decided to climb out and sat on the floor, leaning against the side of the bath, it was too much to take. Tears started cascading down her cheeks now, and she bent her head onto her knees and she just sat there, holding her position and wishing she could recall all the events of her life. She reached up too her head and carefully pressing her fingers on her temple, she could feel the titanium plate that had saved her two years ago, but the installation of which had caused her to lose her memory. At the time she had been told by the fantastic team of neurosurgeons that had rallied around to help her when the accident had occurred that she was lucky, very lucky. She was told, no better still, it was emphasised greatly how lucky she was to have a father with such great friends and contacts, but all she wished now was that he hadn't known them. All she could think now was it would have been better to have died quickly rather than to have to suffer the torture of her whole life being erased, and the traumatic side effects it brought. 

A sudden beeping brought startled her out of her reverie and she realised it was her Nokia reminding her to get ready. The sound had pulled her out of her semi trance but pulled her into another 'memory', causing her to alter her current thought pattern.

**The three of them were at the restaurant, laughing away at something Julia and her partner had just said… something about profits from the bar. Chloe didn't understand it, but her character did and was grinning so hard, that Chloe felt the happiness consuming her as well. A few minutes later she was sitting down with Julia and although she couldn't make out all of the conversation, she did get one sentence pretty clear, as if her subconscious meant her to hear it at this point in her life. "Sweetie, see I told you, I knew you could do it. You can do anything if you try hard enough and really want it to happen. The key to life is to stay positive"**

_The key to life is to stay positive… the key to life is to stay positive. I should stop contemplating the horrible mess my life is in right now and focus on finding Julia. I need those answers; ergo I will get those answers. God, did I just use Latin? I really should stop watching so much American political drama._

Chloe raised herself up using the sides of the bath to help her stand and she walked back into the main room and started delving through her new purchases.

Thirty minutes later Chloe Tyler had been transformed from a boring conservative security officer to a confident, bold partygoer. She was now wearing a revealing red v-neck that was slashed across her abdomen and a black denim mini skirt with knee high black boots with 5-inch heels. She had fluffed her hair up and had applied a good coating of mascara to her eyes, as well as hot red lipstick to her mouth. She strode over to the elevator and her demeanour had completely changed. The lift operator kept looking over at her awe-struck, until she said hello to him and he quickly mumbled a hello back before turning away from her, seemingly traumatised by the fact she had actually spoken to him.

As she arrived at the club she came across an already big queue, but she found the bouncers were being pretty picky that night, and were turning quite a few people away they deemed not up to the right standard. However when Chloe approached the door, they looked her up and down once before allowing her in with a smile and a 'through here ma'am'. She gave them a sly grin and strode in confidently, sashaying her way between the already sweating bodies, trying to make her way to her bar.

"What can I get you Signora?" The tall blue eyed bartender asked her in his Italian tainted English. _Thank god this is an English bar_ She recalled what Leo's card said in her mind, she had to ask for a Vodka Chocolate Mudshake and then he would say he didn't think they stocked it. If she then told him it was a terrible shame and that they should consider it, further code word contact would be initiated.

" A Vodka Chocolate Mudshake please Signore." She leaned her head to one side and gave him a sly grin.

He looked slightly taken aback when she requested this, but he obviously knew what to reply, "I'm sorry Signora, I don't think we stock that particular drink."

"Well isn't that a terrible shame" She said, and watched his eyes light up in recognition. "You really should consider it. Ill have vodka and coke please. He nodded his head and excused himself whilst he walked to the other end of the bar, and she caught him gesturing to a young looking man, his hand wavering in her direction. When he left the man to get her drink, the man came over and sat on the barstool next to her.

" Evening Signora, Isn't this club designed well?" He asked, Chloe's levels of hope raising, as this was the code.

"Yes, and the beautiful people here make it so much better" She replied, causing him to nod at her and he gave a quick smile.

" I take it you must be Leo's client? I was made aware he had one in town. Do you have a name?"

"Yes, I'm Chloe Tyler, and I really need your help."


	7. Cappuccinommm

A/N: review feedback. **Whitelighter Enchantress:** Shopping is wonderful everywhere.. cept maybe Siberia, thanks for reviewing! **Valoriahn: **Your enthusiam makes me very happy, thanks! **Tricia: **Glad you like the memory thing, thanks! **Ren201: **Thanks darlin, you made me blush! **Edes: **Two reviews! Thanks! I just had to write based on this premise... and Iam working on the Francie style snarking! **Fair Cate: **Thank you for your kind words, i try to get memories in as much as possible. **Scary-girly: **Thank you for your lovely review! Hope y'all like this chapter! Katex

**Chapter 7. Cappuccino..mmm**

Chloe was led down several corridors and three flights of stairs to a sublevel basement. They were in the contact's office; she realised with a start. He gestured for her to sit down and walked over to the coffee machine where he proceeded to make a couple of cappuccinos.

"So Leo wasn't that clear on why you may need my help. Would you care to elaborate and I'll see how I can offer my assistance?" he asked, sitting down behind his desk and leaning leisurely back in his chair.

"Sure, but do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions first? I feel kind of uncomfortable talking about my situation with a stranger." Chloe asked anxiously, curling her hair back behind her ear as she had done so many times in the last few days. She couldn't help it, she was quite worried and the slight movement made her feel in control.

The contact answered with a deep chuckle. "Sure, go ahead, but there are some questions I won't answer."

"That's ok, I was just wondering. How come you are so fluent in English whilst you work here in Italy? Sorry if it sounds too personal, its just I'm intrigued. You do seem like a real Italian." Chloe enquired curiously.

"No, it's ok, I'm used to being asked. It's all down to my Parents. My mother is British and my father is Italian. I grew up in Britain until I was 17, then my mother died and my father moved out here to help with the family business. I decided to come with him. Am I to assume you are in a similar situation? After all Leo works from Graz and I don't believe you would travel far for an Investigator, or was there some problem with the ones where you live?" Robert replied with a slight grin.

"No, you're right. I live in Graz; Leo's office isn't that far away. I was so glad to find a British investigator I must admit. My parents moved from London years ago, not that I remember it but that's another long story." She sighed with this last admission.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, maybe you could clue me in after we have finished our business here. It does sound intriguing." He said, his eyebrows raised with interest. He really was a people person.

"Thanks, it's also a right pain but let's get back on track shall we? I feel like I know you now, except from one thing, do you by any chance have a name?" She asked with a small secretive smile.

"Oh, sorry, I do apologise for not introducing myself. I'm Robert Verlanti. I'm a private investigator like Leo." He confirmed.

"Oh! That's great. My husband's name is Rob actually. But what I'm here to talk about doesn't really concern him. I need to track down someone; a woman named Julia Thorne."

"OK, I can start looking right now by searching my databases for an address, it shouldn't be that hard." He made to make a move but stopped when she nervously interrupted him.

"Well um, it is actually. See I had an address, and I went to it, but it turns out Julia was arrested by the police about a week ago." She pursed her lips and looked at him embarrassed.

"Ah. I see your problem. Well, Leo did mention your case was special, and as I owe him a favour I guess I could check the police database if you like." He replied, not wanting her to give up hope and breakdown in front of him, she seemed to be on the verge of doing something by the strangled look on her face when he took more than a minute to reply.

"You could? That would be great. When can you do it?" She let out a small shriek implying her hope and energy had been temporarily restored.

"How about I do it right now? I have access from my computer here." Robert said, before opening up his laptop and hitting what seemed like a million keys to Chloe before he announced he had her file.

"Lets see, what do we have here…a name, an address… aha, and reason for arrest. Oh." He came to a sudden stop and moved his eyes closer to the screen, which were by now showing signs of disbelief.

"What? What is it?" Chloe nearly fell out of her seat she was leaning that far forward.

"The warrant for arrest is through Interpoll. It looks like a NSA directive." Robert frowned at the screen, his chin resting on one hand whilst scrolling down the screen with the other.

"NSA?" Chloe questioned incredulously.

"The National Security Agency, its America's... Robert absentmindedly explained without looking up from the file, too engrossed in its content.

Yeah, I know what the NSA is, but what the hell would they want with her? Chloe asked impatiently, cutting him off mid sentence.

"Well, according to this, Julia Thorne is really a rogue CIA agent by the name of Sydney Bristow." Robert had looked up from the screen now and was watching as Chloe's face turned white and she fell back into her chair.


	8. Sydney Bristow

A/N. I havent formatted text in this chapter but I think you will be able to easily distinguish what frame of mind she is in.**Fair Cate:** Sounds like you might enjoy this chapter.. well I hope you do anyway, thanks for your lovely review. **sweetytweety013:** thanks for that! Im blushing  
**Tricia:** This update soon enough for ya? Thanks for stopping by.  
**Ren201:** Now now dont go keeping promises you cant keep! Thank you so much for your review and I hope you like this chapter since youve been yelling at me to finish it for the last twenty mins.  
**Valoriahn:**Thank you! Your feedback means a lot to me  
**Whitelighter Enchantress:** Im not too keen on the coffee either, just couldnt be bothered to think up a good title! Hope you like this chapter and thanks for reviewing!

**Chapter 8.Sydney Bristow**

Sydney Bristow. The two words reverberated around her head until she felt herself fading out of consciousness and into a never discovered bank of memories…

She was sitting down on the floor of what looked like a girls bathroom. The mirror opposite showed tears streaming down her face and she was in a crouched position, holding her knees close to her chest. Suddenly the door opened and a tall brunette entered. She immediately came across to Chloe and knelt down beside her.

"Um... are you OK?" She asked gently touching her arm.

Chloe rubbed her eyes and looked blurrily at the girl.

"Not really… I just broke up with my boyfriend, well actually he broke up with me, said I wasn't what he wanted in a girlfriend anymore."

Chloe burst into another lot of tears and the girl shifted into a better position so she could put an arm around her.

"He was a complete Jackass; you'll find lots of guys much better than him. Promise" The girl replied.

"Do you know him?" Chloe asked, looking more closely at the girl who had come to comfort her. And with a start the older Chloe realised it was Julia Thorne/Sydney Bristow.

"Its Bryan Coulson, Captain of the guys track team isn't it? I'm on the girls team, we've had a few differences in the past." She said, rolling her eyes heavenwards.

"Yeah, it is." She sighed and then whispered "Jerk" under her breath. She paused for a minute in contemplation before speaking again. "Sorry, but I can't quite place your name." Chloe said apologetically.

"Oh, that's OK. I didn't expect you to know me. It's not like we share the same classes or anything. I'm Sydney Bristow."

"Oh! Aren't you like the brainiest girl in the year?" She spoke quickly without thinking what she was saying through properly. She saw the cringe on Sydney's face and apologised. "I'm sorry… I guess you don't like being labelled, I'm hopeless for putting my foot in it."

"Don't worry about it" Sydney replied with a shrug. "You get used to it after a while. Besides, I label you." She smirked.

"Good or bad?" Chloe asked, eyebrow arched.

"Oh, you know the usual label for Captain of the Cheerleaders; we have to amuse ourselves somehow."

"Yeah, I know. I'm not really that bad though. Just ask… Oh, wait don't ask anyone on my squad, two thirds of them really do fit the stereotype, my so called best friends included." Chloe added with a small snarl.

"So called?" Sydney enquired. "I don't recall hearing any gossip?"

"Sabrina has been checking out Bryan for the last month every time she thought my back was turned. One of the nicer people on the squad told me a couple of weeks ago so I started paying more attention. I caught him looking back at her as well." Chloe rolled her eyes and shook her head. "We've been arguing about it for the last week and he finally dumped me an hour ago. I wonder how long it will be before they get together. They deserve each other, giant pair of backstabbers." She stretched her legs out and shook her feet trying to fight off the cramp in them.

Suddenly the bell rang indicating it was time to move.

"Ugh. How long have I been sitting here?" Chloe groaned, taking the hand Sydney offered to her.

"Well I could only leave study hall ten minutes before the end to use the bathroom... so I guess it's been at least ten minutes" Sydney grinned.

"Ok, and how random was that? " Chloe replied, also grinning.

"Very. I'm going to go and get some lunch now. What are you up to?" Sydney asked curiously, she wasn't so sure Chloe should be on her own at that moment in time.

"Uh, I dunno" Chloe mumbled quietly. "I don't particularly want to sit at my usual table."

"Come eat with me on my table then." Sydney cocked her head towards the door.

"Are you sure" Chloe frowned. "I doubt your friends would appreciate having to sit with me."

"I'm sure, and I don't care what they think, C'mon." Sydney grabbed Chloe's hand and dragged her towards the door. Seven minutes later they were heading for the table. Sydney's friends looked up from their books at the sound of her clearing her throat and several shocked faces followed.

"Guys, you know Francie Calfo? She's going to be eating with us today."

Francie Calfo…. Francie Calfo…. "Chloe? Chloe? Chloe can you hear me?"

"Whuh?" Chloe was being shaken back into consciousness by Robert.

"I said, Chloe can you hear me." Robert's words were much clearer now and as Chloe's eyes opened, she found herself looking directly into his concerned eyes.

"She called me Francie…" Chloe mumbled trying hard to pull herself up.

"What?" Robert asked, confused.

"Julia...Sydney… she introduced me as Francie Calfo. Who the hell am I?"


	9. Francine Calfo

A/N Wrote this in my lunch break, sorry its been so long… just started uni and seem to be very busy! Thanks to **Fair Cate, Tricia, Ren201, Whitelighter Enchantress **and** Kris **for reviewing! Your comments are much appreciated!

**Chapter 9**. Francine Calfo

Robert and Chloe just stared at each other in mutual shock for what felt like a few hours when in fact it was literally two minutes.

Robert moved back to his computer and pulled up the American DMV database and typed in Calfo, Francie, not knowing what to expect. It came up with no matches. Chloe stared at him in disbelief.

"I know what I heard Robert. She called me Francie Calfo, and we were in an American High School. There must be something" she maintained.

"I could try the near matches" He replied. "See if there is anything in there". One click solved everything, for up on the screen came the name Francine Calfo, with a picture of Chloe as photo ID.

"Oh My God" Chloe breathed. "It's me…. what… what else does it say" She asked, not daring to look.

Robert looked closer at the screen, shielding his eyes against the glare. "Francine Calfo. It's a driver's license for the state of California. Occupation… N/A. Huh? That's weird… it shouldn't say… ah." Robert paused amidst his confusion.

"What? Robert? What does it say?" Chloe shrieked.

"The reason… the reason your occupation is N/A is because your status is deceased." He answered quietly.

"Deceased?" she choked "I'm dead?"

Robert scrolled down the screen trying to extract and vital information as to what had happened. He found the number of the Los Angeles coroners office that had certified her death and checked his watch, as they were nine hours behind in LA he figured they would still be open.

"Um Chloe… Francie?" He suddenly realized he didn't know what to call the woman standing in front of him and tailed off, looking at her expectantly.

"Francie, call me Francie" Chloe suddenly blurted out after a couple of minutes of awkward silence.

"Are you sure?" Robert asked, tilting his head so he could see her face better.

"Yeah... I think it's who I really am. Well, who I was. How did I become Chloe Tyler? And who in my life is deceiving me?" She asked, before leaning back in her chair and closing her eyes, frustrated.

"Well I have the coroners office number here…do you want me to call them?" He probed gently.

"Could you?" Francie asked meekly, "I don't think I could cope with hearing it from someone I don't know."

Robert picked up the phone and dialed in the 13 digit phone number which would allow him to connect with the county coroner. After a few minutes of enquiries he learnt that the registrar recorder had one copy of the death certificate, but also, for some unknown reason to the excitable receptionist, the Department of State had requested a copy.

_Department of State? That's CIA! It has to be, why else would a copy be requested? What the hell happened to this girl sitting in front of me? I can't delve too far into this without getting into trouble, I guess I could just find the details of her life before her death and she can trace what happened from there._

He picked up the phone and dialed a contact in LA who gave him access details for the Police database. Several minutes later he had the last known address of Francine Calfo, and when he clicked on the address tab, he found there was one other occupant at the time the record was made, a Miss Sydney Bristow.

"Um Francie? I think we are getting somewhere" He said, smiling at the look of hope that spread across her features.

"What did you find?" She asked eagerly.

"I have your last known address, and also information that leads me to believe that Sydney Bristow was living with you at the time before your death."

"Oh My God. Can I have the address? I want to go." She said, slightly freaked out but overall happy she had finally found the link.

"It uh, says here that you died when the house was burnt down... but it lists another more recent address for Sydney Bristow. Do you want that?"

The next day, after having made her excuses to Rob and work for staying away longer, she found herself driving by the gorgeous blue Pacific, shading her eyes from the bright sun, as she made her way to the street where she believed all her answers lied.

She counted down the house numbers, and when she found the right apartment block, she pulled her car up outside and glanced nervously out of the window. She looked in the mirror and fluffed her hair up, before gingerly stepping out of the car and walking up to the house.

She took a deep breath and rang the doorbell, and about a minute later a familiar voice rang through the intercom… "Hello? Who is it?"


	10. Reunion

**Chapter 10- Reunion…. thanks to my beta frangipani!! And Iam so so so so sorry how late this chapter is**

Francie tried opening her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. She suddenly felt so unprepared for what might happen. She was scared, very scared. "Hello? Is anybody there?" Sydney called out again, this time sounding slightly agitated. Francie knew she had better make her move, after all she wouldn't know anything if she didn't give it a try.

"Um hi...are you Sydney Bristow" She asked cautiously.

"Who is asking?" she called out, with a tone of wariness about her, Chloe knew it had to be Sydney.

"My name… my name is Chloe Tyler but I have information that you may know me by another name, and I came to see if… if you could help me." Francie stuttered.

The door opened suddenly causing Francie to jump back in shock, and a voice told her to come in. She stepped through the doorway, and the minute she had she wished she hadn't, as she found herself being pushed up against the wall and held at gunpoint.

"What the hell are you doing here bitch? I thought you were dead! And how dare you just walk right up to my door and ask to come in?" Sydney was seething, and Francie's fear was growing stronger as each moment passed.

"I uh... I" Francie was sobbing and had no idea how to answer the barrage of questions. The grip around her neck tightened and the tears increased. She was going to die, she just knew it. Suddenly a dark haired guy came running in through the door and shouted at Sydney to calm down.

"Syd, we want her alive if anything, to interrogate her. You don't want to kill her like this, think about it!" He spoke quickly and calmly.

"Weiss, she just walked in here, asking for my help. She is supposed to be dead. Will killed her in Graz!" However at the same time she was cursing she was also loosening her grip in defeat, she knew Weiss was right, and with her throat free of constriction, Francie found she could talk.

"Nobody killed me in Graz" She shouted, "I saw somebody being killed instead".

"What? What the hell are you talking about Doren, Will wasn't killed in Graz, he was supposed to kill you instead." Sydney and Weiss were both looking at her in bewilderment, funnily enough both thinking the same thing. _Has she lost her mind?_

"I'm not Doren I've never even heard of Doren! I'm Chloe Tyler... but, but I think you know me as Francie Calfo."

"DO NOT MENTION HER NAME BH" Sydney screamed suddenly pinning Francie against the wall again, so fiercely that Weiss had to sprint across the room and forcibly pull her off. "Calm down Syd. Let me handle this, OK?"

"I'm not losing my hold on her" Sydney threatened.

"That's fine, just let me do the questioning" Weiss replied, moving so he was standing at their sides.

"OK, OK" Sydney glowered but shut up and decided to listen.

"Now… Chloe… Francie… Allison… whoever you are. First off, what do you mean you saw Will being killed in Graz?"

"My name is Chloe… and I didn't see a guy being killed in Graz... unless this Will guy is a girl who looks exactly like me" Sydney rolled her eyes at this, and looked like she was going to interrupt but Weiss gave her an evil glare to stop her.

"OK, so you saw a girl who looked like you being killed… how?" He asked sharply.

"How did I see them be killed? Or how were they killed? Or how did the person look like me?" Francie asked, having a feeling she already knew what he would say.

"All three if possible." He answered looking slightly confused as to why this woman wasn't acting like the mad psycho they already knew she was.

"I work as Security for the hotel; I was on shift when I discovered a girl was lying on one of the sub level basement corridors. I had found a glitch in one of the feeds so I turned on the back up... and she was just lying there bleeding a lot. I don't know exactly how it happened because like I said the cameras weren't working properly, but when I zoomed in on her I assumed she had been stabbed... I didn't think too much about how she had been killed to be honest, because the minute I saw her face I saw mine…. I…I didn't know how to react… I was in shock." Francie was still sobbing and had closed her eyes, so she didn't see the looks of confusion and suspicion between Sydney and Weiss.

"What happened then?" Weiss asked gently, unsure as to whether this actually was Doren now.

"I went down there to investigate... and the body was gone! It was like it had never been there! I knew it had though, I knew I hadn't been hallucinating, so I checked the floor. I found specks of blood. The person who took away the body hadn't done a very good job of cleaning. I didn't know what to do!" Francie was on a roll now. "I went up to reception to see if they could help me out and my receptionist alerted me to some suspicious behaviour of two rock stars who had checked in earlier that day. It was you, and a guy." Francie gestured towards Sydney. "Normally... normally I would have alerted the police to the break in and the body... but the minute I saw the body's face, and then the faces of the two of you, I knew it wasn't normal!"

"What do you mean? Seeing my face wasn't normal?" Sydney interrupted, curious.

"I had seen the faces before… many times…but not through pictures or anything… it was in my dreams… I have visions and the two of you dominate them." Francie explained quietly.

"You had visions of me and Will?" Sydney laughed. "Now I know you can't be for real!"

The look of hurt on Francie's face was caught by Weiss though, and he decided to ask about the visions.

"Why... uh why do you have visions if you don't mind me asking?" Looking at her closely, trying to figure her out.

"I have no idea! They started about two years ago, just after I woke from my coma after the accident. I was told by family and specialists that they were just fabricated and meant nothing…" She broke off as Sydney interrupted her.

"Accident? What kind of accident?" She asked suspiciously.

"Um, apparently I was working for a bank, and there was an armed robbery, I got shot in the head… but thanks to some excellent neurosurgeons I survived."

"Apparently?" Weiss questioned, wondering why she used the word.

"Well I don't remember a thing about my life before the accident. All I know is what I have been told since I woke up… which from what I have found out in the last few days is all lies, damn lies" More tears followed.

Sydney surprisingly touched Francie on the shoulder, looking over at Weiss in shock, not knowing what on earth to do.

"Uh, what lies? Could you be more specific?" Weiss asked her

"Well once I saw Sydney's face on camera, I scanned it through the database, and came up with the name Julia Thorne. I needed answers… to why I was having the visions and to why I saw a girl who looked just like me get stabbed to death. At least I think she was. It's not like I saw her again. Anyway, I should get back on track… I took the name to an investigator in Graz who gave me an address in Rome…Francie looked over at Sydney to her nodding in understanding.

Weiss looked bewildered but Sydney gave him a look and said "I'll tell you later".

"Go on..." Sydney prompted

"The doormen were very helpful, they said that you had been arrested the week before, and so I went to an investigator in Rome who managed to find your arrest record, and associated with it, the name Sydney Bristow. Your name sparked a vision; we were in a bathroom in high school… I was crying over a guy... Bryan Coulson, you came in and comforted me... told me you didn't like him that much either… you introduced yourself as Sydney Bristow, and then called me Francie Calfo… I jerked right back out of the vision in shock. Robert, the investigator, she checked my name against the US DMV database and found out... he found out I was deceased!. We didn't know what the hell was going on, but figured out the record was made around the time of my 'accident' when we checked the coroners report. He found my last known address and cross checked the occupants. He found your name and then traced your new address. That was yesterday. I'm here now to ask for your help… do you know who I really am?

Sydney was pale. She was getting whiter by the minute. Weiss didn't look so good himself. Sydney completely lost her grip on Francie and collapsed into the nearest chair. She looked down at her hands for a couple of seconds, before looking up and repeating the name Bryan Coulson under her breath… "Um, could you tell me some of the things you remember from your visions? Of time the two of us... spent together?"

Francie nodded, "Sure", and went on to describe only things that the real Francie and Sydney would know about. Things from high school and UCLA that Sydney swore no one else could know.

"Francie?" She called to the girl standing above her. "It's really you?" she asked as tears started to roll down her face, and her hand reached out for her best friend's.

**_Review feedback….._**

**Lizzi**** – **Thanks for the enthusiasm!! Sorry this update wasn't immediate!

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	11. Puzzle Pieces

**Chapter 11.**** Puzzle Pieces**

The room was silent for what felt like an eternity for all occupants. Sydney held Francie in her arms; both had tears gently rolling down their faces. Hell, even Weiss wanted to cry.

The silence was eventually broken when Francie, pulling back from Sydney's arms and glancing between Sydney and Weiss, began speaking in a very small voice.

"Um… guys…do you know why this happened to me? I mean, I don't understand…any of it." She sniffled, using the back of her hand to wipe the tears from her eyes.

Sydney sighed, and Weiss took a seat nearby, figuring it was safe to do so now they were at peace with each other.

"Believe me Fran…Chloe…Uh… Ok, first of all, we have got to figure out what I'm going to call you…do you prefer Francie or Chloe? It's only right you choose" Syd surmised, clasping her hands in front of her.

"Fran… I kinda like that… and I think it's who I really am…, so yeah, let's call me Francie. Chloe seems like a lie. A lie I want to stop living and figure out." Francie said firmly, not needing more than a few seconds to make the decision.

"We will figure it out, won't we Eric." Sydney stated strongly, asking Weiss to back her up. Weiss nodded. "I have this feeling it's going to take some time, but Fran, we will help you discover what happened and who you really are." She gave her friend a half smile, which was immediately returned with gratitude.

"Thank you. I knew I needed to find you. I knew you would know how to help.' She replied enthusiastically.

"Guys? I hope you don't mind the gorgeous guy in the corner butting in, but I think there is one major thing we should figure out first… just how did you survive the bullet Allison Doren put into your skull Francie?" Weiss interrupted.

At this both girls flinched at the thought.

"I don't know for sure Eric, it is Eric isn't it?" She asked, unsure. Weiss nodded and smiled. "I can tell you what I know from piecing together what I've been told though." Francie replied, smiling at Weiss to show she didn't mind the inquisition.

"Ok, what have you been told?" Sydney butted in calmly, a miracle she could really, since she was that overwhelmed.

"I was told that just over two and a half years ago I was working in a bank. There was a robbery and I was shot in the head. Apparently it didn't go too far in, and neurosurgeons managed to save me by inserting a titanium plate…in fact if you press on my forehead right now you can feel it. It's pretty smooth and I rarely feel it anymore. They said a side effect was amnesia though; I lost all my memory from before the robbery took place. I was only supposed to remember everything that happened once I woke up from the coma I was in. When I started to get the visions, the ones of you and your friend, Will was it?

Sydney nodded and smiled at the thought of her old friend. _God I miss him. And what the hell is he going to make of all this? How much more can you take when it comes to close friends coming back from the dead? How much can you take when it comes to anybody coming back from the dead for that matter? Oh God, and Alison, he could have sworn he had killed her, and he had a clearer conscious since Francie was dead… this is gonna be a long week…_She sighed inwardly, and averted her full attention back to her friend.

"After a few weeks I told my husband, Rob, about the visions and he told me that they weren't real. At this point, I didn't know who to trust… I had no memory of these people… I had no trusting relationships… I felt like I was on my own in the world. Anyway, the second time I went to the psychiatrist I was having mandatory sessions with, he said the exact same thing as Rob… and that basically, along with what I told you before, is all that I know." Francie ended on a sigh.

"Your husband… Rob… did he have any links to the psychiatrist that were formed before the accident?" Sydney enquired thoughtfully.

"Uh… I guess you could say he did." Francie said, slightly surprised, because as she thought about it… the pieces of the puzzle in her head were starting to fit together. She carried on. "When my family supposedly moved from London to Austria, it was for my parents' job at a private medical research facility. Rob worked there too and that is how I met him, it's how I seemed to have met all my close friends in Graz actually. I apparently worked there for a while. Anyway… the neurosurgeons and the psychiatrist that treated me, they had strong links with the faculty, did lots of work with them."

"Sounds to me like a major cover up job" Weiss interjected, before realizing he may have just put his foot in it. "I'm so sorry Francie… I didn't mean that your husband was…" he started to apologize but Francie interrupted him, shaking her head.

"No, don't apologize Eric, I'm pretty sure you are right. I've been thinking the same thing for a couple of days now. I'm starting to think that he isn't really my husband… that they aren't really my family" She frowned and lifted her hand to her face to stop the tears that were threatening to form.

"What can you guys tell me? What did you know about what happened to me?" She added.

**Review Feedback**

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I love all your reviews so much, they bring the biggest smile to my face! And lets all keep our fingers crossed that the muse is gonna hang around a little while longer this time!


	12. Life, is not but a dream

"This is gonna be a long story." Sydney groaned, letting out a long sigh. "There will be parts which may surprise you, there are things, things about me and things about Will that may shock you, there were things we could never tell the real you when you were alive."

"Sydney? Trust me- after the week I've had? I'm used to surprises" Francie interjected.

"Okay, I guess ill start at the very beginning. You were born in Sacramento January 3rd 1975…" She started

"Huh, wait a sec, I was told I was born in London on 17th February. There are some people who had better be hiding from me right now. Cos I'm gonna hunt them down and god only knows what's going to happen to them."

"I'll be happy to help you 'deal' with them" Sydney said sarcastically, upset that there were people out there deliberately trying to wreak as much havoc in her life as possible.

_She would make them pay_.

She carried on her tale. "We met in high school, the Bryan Coulson incident which you remembered? That was the start of our friendship." She smiled weakly, remembering that first lunch they shared together, all the laughs they had when they caught the looks of the cheerleaders.

"We both got accepted to UCLA, I eventually ended up getting a Masters in English Literature and you were doing an MBA but you eventually withdrew to follow your dream, to open up a restaurant."

"Wait" Francie halted her in mid speech; the mention of a restaurant rang a bell. "This restaurant, was it called Deep Inside?"

"Yeah it was, how did you know?" Sydney asked curiously, her eyebrows rose in wonder.

"It was in one of my visions"- Francie waved her hands about excitedly- "I always wanted to know why I had such an interest in that damn restaurant." Francie grinned. "So how did I become Chloe Tyler then?"

"This is where the story gets interesting. Around the time you decided about the restaurant, I was engaged to a guy called Danny. Now during my first year at University I accepted a job offer to work for what I was told was a black ops division of the CIA. My cover story to you and everyone else was that I worked at a bank."

"Wait, I didn't know you worked for the CIA? How come I didn't realize something as big as that?" Francie asked, confused as she would have been had she been told all those years ago.

Whilst I worked for SD6, which was the name for the division, I created a web of lies to cover it up. It hurt me so badly lying to you, but I was scared what would happen if you knew the truth. However when Danny wanted to marry me, I felt I had to tell him the truth. I was tired of keeping things from people. So I told him, and my boss Arvin Sloane found out. Fran, he had Danny killed.

Francie gasped as tears started to trickle down Sydney's face

"It was then I knew I could never tell you the truth without putting you in grave danger"

Francie nodded in silent understanding, and put her arms around the person who she now knew was once her best friend in the whole world.

"I was in a lot of trouble and then it turned out my dad worked for SD6 also. He saved me and told me the truth about SD6, that it was not connected to the CIA, I was working for the bad guys. He was a double agent for the CIA, and so I became one as well. For months we worked tirelessly to bring down SD6, and the Alliance which it was a small part of. Near the end though, Sloane got wind of what we were doing and he escaped our clutches, however along with another bad guy, Mr. Sark, he had set in action Plan B. Plan B was to keep close surveillance on me and my work. They had developed something called Project Helix, it was a cloning programme. Fran, they cloned you, and then killed you. On January 26th 2003 Allison Doren supposedly took your life and became Francie Calfo."

Francie felt like she was going to faint. "Eric, could I get a glass of water? I don't feel so good…"

Weiss ran to the kitchen and within minutes Francie was clutching onto her glass trying her damndest not to hyperventilate. Or cry.

"January 26th 2003." Francie repeated, touching her forehead. "That was the date of my accident."

"I don't know what happened to you Fran, I really don't." Sydney started to cry. "I was told you were dead when I finally came back, it had been two years, and I had to accept you were dead." She was freely sobbing again.

"Two years? Wait, Sydney what are you on about?" Francie asked, confused.

"A few months after Allison had taken your place, Will, who was working with me at the CIA since he started researching Danny's death and stumbled across my real job, figured out Allison was the clone. He left me a voicemail message warning me before Allison discovered he knew; she then stabbed him and left him in the bath, waiting for me to come home so she could get me too. Luckily I got the message and was able to test Allison to see if she was you or not. I couldn't believe it when I figured she wasn't my best friend. We fought, and next thing I know, I'm waking up two years later in Hong Kong. Id been taken by the bad guys and my memory erased. I talked to those who I'd left behind in LA; they told me there had been a house fire. They had discovered our bodies and buried us Fran. Only they weren't our bodies. They had been planted with our DNA. I had shot Allison in the fight, but she was saved. Until Will stabbed her obviously…"

"Wait, so Will managed to survive? Francie asked, she had been completely thrown off track…

"Yeah." Syd smiled. "He managed to get out of the house and they put him in Witness Protection, he remained there until I needed him a couple of weeks ago. The look on his face when he saw I was still alive…" Sydney cut off and had a distant smile on her face, Francie almost didn't want to disturb her private thoughts; but she knew she had to.

"Sydney? Can I ask? About Will? Its just in some visions, I'm kissing him?

"Yeah, you guys finally got together of years of being great friends, but the sad part was, you were 'killed' just after you got together. Will was so distraught when he found out it was actually Allison he had been dating for months…"

"Oh my god. Sydney? Is there… is there any chance of me seeing Will? It's just; I guess I want to see him for myself?"

"I want to take you into work in a few minutes, just so we can get things like your identity confirmed; there is this eye test I need you to take. But then, going to see Will will be first on our list… I promise."


End file.
